Rita Joy Wensorski

Rita Joy Wensorski, age 81, of Lawton, Oklahoma passed away Tuesday, September 1, 2015 in Oklahoma. Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m., Saturday, September 5, 2015 at Cedar Ridge Church of Christ in Gatesville. Burial will follow at Restland Cemetery. Visitation will be 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., Friday, September 4, 2015 at Scott’s Funeral Home Chapel in Gatesville. Rita was born on April 8, 1934 in Gatesville, Texas to V.R. “Happy” Lee and Myrtle Hill Lee. She attended school in Gatesville, graduating from Gatesville High School in 1951. She continued her education and received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Texas State College for Women in Denton in 1955. She started her first teaching job in 1956 at Earth, Texas, and later taught in the Clear Creek School District in Houston. She met the love of her life, John Frederick Wensorski, while he was serving in the U.S. Army and was stationed at Fort Hood. They were married on June 15, 1960 in Gatesville. After marrying, John was stationed one year at Fort Wayne, Michigan and he spent the following year on assignment at Camp Beavers in Korea. During this time, Rita did social work in Detroit, where she worked with juvenile delinquent girls. In 1963, they moved to Fort Riley, Kansas, and Rita got a job substitute teaching. From 1964 to 1967, they moved to Kaiserlautern and Vilseck, Germany, and Rita taught in several army schools. Between 1967 and 1970, they lived in Fort Knox, Kentucky. In 1970, when John was sent to Camp Kaiser, Korea, Rita moved back home to Levita and substituted in the G.I.S.D. Then came a two year stay at Camp Dodgen, Newton, Iowa, followed by assignment in 1973 to Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma. John eventually retired in 1978, and Lawton became their permanent home. Rita worked with the State of Oklahoma Dept. of Human Services from 1973 until her retirement in 1997. They spent some time at a lake home in Grove, Oklahoma until John’s death in 2009, after which Rita moved back to Lawton full time. Rita enjoyed travelling, crocheting, knitting, reading, and she was an avid fisherwoman. She loved church activities, league bowling, square dancing, and family gatherings, especially reunions. Rita was a member of Western Hills Church of Christ in Lawton, Oklahoma. She was preceded in death by her parents, V.R. “Happy” Lee and Myrtle Hill Lee; husband, John Frederick Wensorski; sister, Rae Juan Markunas; and brother, Mack Dale Lee; niece, Laura Meyers; and in-laws, Wally and Betty Meyers. Rita is survived by her nieces, Kathleen Meyers, Sharon Kirk and husband, John, Kathryn Howell and husband, Herb; nephews, Michael Meyers and wife, Debbie, Kevin Meyers and wife, Cherie, Brian Meyers and wife, Teresa, Matt Meyers, Chris Meyers and wife, Shirley, Jay Markunas and wife, Laura; sister-in-law, Marsha Lee; and numerous great-nieces and great-nephews. Memorials may be made to the Gatesville Care Center, 105 N. 7th St., Gatesville, TX 76528 or to Teen Challenge Sonrise Ranch, 19792 NW Cache Road, Cache, OK 73527.